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Small Biz: Eastside retail shop to offer 'creature' comforts

Posted: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Joe Butts and Megan Watch found out they both shared a love of animals and an appreciation for the retail pet supply business when they worked together at Petland of Athens about two and a half years ago. They developed a fondness for each other as well.

Now the couple is engaged to be married and will be opening their own pet business, Eastside Pets and Supplies in Tower Place on Gaines School Road. They hope to open the store the first week in August, and both will work there full time.

The 1,500-square-foot commercial space in the Tower Place commercial center will feature a variety of unique displays to show off some of the creatures - including a large selection of freshwater and saltwater fish that Eastside Pets will sell, Butts said.

An old boat will serve as a centerpiece for a 1,000-gallon pond where coi, gold fish and turtles will swim. An artificial saltwater reef aquarium will occupy the center of the fish room. Several other saltwater tanks will house a variety of corals sold at the shop, Butts said.

Old glass jewelry cases located at the front checkout counters will highlight reptiles and spiders, Butts said.

"As you pay, you can see them in the counters," he said.

Besides fish of all stripes, the new store will sell birds, rabbits, rats, ferrets, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, shrimp, crabs, reptiles, spiders and other small creatures.

Customers also will find bait animals like crickets and worms that can be used for pet foods.

The new shop won't sell dogs and cats, though. Butts said he would like to work out an arrangement with a local animal shelter and host adoptions on weekends.

Eastside Pets will sell a "full range of quality supplies for every pet, from basic items like you would find at Wal-Mart to high-end items," Butts said.

The merchandise will include collapsible pet strollers, beds, collars, leashes, toys and more. The food selection will range from products such as Science Diet, Eukanuba, Nutro, Diamond Dog Foods, Evo, Pedigrees, Purina and Natural Balance. The shop will even stock frozen, holistic pet diet food. The food choices will cover domestic animals from dogs on down in size. The store should be able to order food for larger animals if a customer ask, he said.

The store will offer discounts to public safety employees, people in them military and teachers.

Butts came to Athens to attend the University of Georgia where he got his English degree in 2005. He has lived here about eight years and has driven big-rig trucks and was a teacher. He also worked at Athens Aquarium & Fish Store, Petland in Duluth, and he managed the Aviarium pet store in Duluth, he said.

Growing up on a farm in Kansas, Butts gained a natural love for animals and had several pets from dogs and cats, to lizards, snakes and fish over the years.

Watch originally is from Philadelphia, but had moved to Duluth with her parents a number of years ago. She moved to Athens to attend UGA and finished her degree in business management last year. She currently is working at Garrett Properties.